1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air-oil separators, more specifically to a separator for separating oil from contaminated air wherein the separator is placed in-line with a flow line.
2. Related Art
Prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,721,069 and 4,184,858 relate to air-oil separators. The specifications and claims of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. In the first patent, the separator uses a baffle for producing primary separation of oil from the air-oil mixture and causes the mixture to be driven through filtration material. The oil separated from the mixture then drops to a reservoir for return back to the engine crankcase, oil pump, etc. The greater cross sectional area of the outlet conduit relative to the inlet port is a significant part of the prior device and provides a means whereby the pressure of the mixture or vapor introduced into the device can be reduced to near atmospheric pressure, contributing significantly to the action of the device. In the second patent, the filtering material is coated with a fluid to assist in removal of the oil from the mixture. The filtered air output of the separator may be passed to the clean air intake of the engine.